Calendar of Events

Chamber members impact the local business community by making an investment in Chamber membership. Whether you’re a new member, a long-time member with new staff, or a business who’s considering membership, we welcome you to attend our Chamber Orientation to learn how to get the most value from your membership investment.

Chamber President Kit Cramer will give an overview of the work the Chamber is doing every day to build our community, including how we support our thriving economy by growing jobs, advocating for a business-friendly environment and helping our members prosper. We’ll dive into member benefits and share ideas of how you can take advantage of the many opportunities available to you as a member. You’ll also have a chance to meet Chamber staff and learn how you can get more engaged.

Orientation is also a great chance to meet other Chamber members.

This event is free, but registration is requested in order to help us plan appropriately.

Looking for a unique way and fun way to donate? Through its community partnership “Doing Good Through Business,” Mosaic Realty is teaming with Devil’s Foot Beverage Company to host a series of gatherings aimed at supporting various local nonprofit organizations. Thursday, July 20th you can support United Way from 5-8 p.m. at

Fifteen percent of all drink sales will be donated to a local nonprofit organization, with a Mosaic broker and partner of that organization matching the donation.

Your Chance to Build Great Connections – You Don’t Want to Miss This Event! Business After Hours is the Chamber’s premier networking event and the best chance for your to make valuable connections to build your business – all while having a great time! With fantastic food and beverages compliments of our host sponsor, and the chance to win great door prizes – this event is the best combination of business and fun! There is no cost to attend but registration is required. July’s Business After Hours is Veteran’s Healing Farm! Register Now

Save a Life. Donate Blood. Giving blood is a simple thing to do, but it can make a big difference in the lives of others. Asheville Outlets is teaming up with the American Red Cross to host a mobile blood drive on Friday, July 21, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot located behind the food court. Donors are asked to register in advance by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/give and entering the sponsor code AshevilleOutlets. For more information, visit AshevilleOutlets.com.

In a collaborative and supportive environment, each attendee will have a chance in the hot seat where all the brainpower at the table is focused on solving your problem, issue, or question.
At our Roundtables, women entrepreneurs gather to deal with real issues. Let’s face it, entrepreneurship has its ups and downs, with very specific challenges. It’s so refreshing to brainstorm with others who get that.
Imagine being able to tap into the knowledge of women with a variety of skill sets, talents, and backgrounds! So whether you need a sounding board for your ideas or some advice on marketing, these sessions will help you tremendously.
Come join other women with vision and energy and let’s work on making your dream a success.
Tickets and more information available at plrconnectevents.com/event-tickets

Join us for our July Pub Club at The Draftsman Bar + Lounge Asheville on July 25th at 5:30 PM. It’s the perfect opportunity to socialize, unwind, and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of one of Asheville’s newest hotspots.

Pub Club is our monthly casual happy hour, designed to bring young professionals like yourself together in a relaxed and enjoyable setting and explore one of Asheville’s many bars and restaurants. As a special treat, your first drink on us! It’s our way of saying thank you for being part of AYPROS.

The Draftsman Bar + Lounge Asheville, located at The Restoration Hotel, provides the perfect backdrop for an evening of connection and camaraderie. They’ve got Golden Tee, Buck Hunter, Pinball Machines and Skee Ball! Whether you’re new to Asheville, a recent returnee, or a lifelong local, you’re sure to meet like-minded professionals and forge valuable relationships.

To keep your taste buds satisfied, The Draftsman kitchen will be serving up a delectable selection of food throughout the event, including vegetarian options. You won’t have to worry about going hungry while you mingle and make new friends! Menu is here

So mark your calendar and get ready for an evening filled with laughter, good times, and the opportunity to expand your friendships. We kindly ask that you RSVP, as it helps us ensure that their staff and kitchen are fully prepared to make this a memorable experience for everyone.

Upcoming Pub Clubs:

8/22 Pub Club: The Easy Tiki Bar

9/26 Pub Club: Mudpuppies Sports & Sushi Bar

New Member Onboarding:

Psst! Are you interested in joining AYPROS and taking your involvement to the next level? We invite you to attend our New Member Onboarding at 5:00 p.m., just before Pub Club begins. It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn more about our community, initiatives, crews and how we support our city by making it a better place for young professionals to live, work and play. It’s also the final step in completing your membership initiation. Be sure to RSVP to secure your spot!

Thanks for registering and we are looking forward to seeing you!

Note: Please drink responsibly 🚫🍻 and arrange for a safe and sober means of transportation. 🚗💨

AYPROS IS POWERED BY FIRST BANK .

AYPROS is committed to providing accessible and inclusive programming for all members of our community. For questions about accessibility, requests for accommodations, or to inform about dietary restrictions, please contact [email protected] at least 48 hours in advance of the event.

Celebrate the women in your life with women-centric networking. Athena of Henderson County presents this unique and informal networking opportunity designed to inspire and connect women. No entrance fee – just bring your business cards and enjoy expanding your network! Join us this month at the Henderson County EMS Center with host, Kathy Morgan, 2021 Athena Recipient and first female Henderson County Rescue Squad Chief. Along with networking, we’ll have the chance to tour this facility and learn about the services and support the Henderson County Emergency Medical Services provides throughout our community! 2023 Empower Hours are Presented by Beverly-Hanks & Associates – Ali Thomas.

Employers today face many new, and newly enforced, workplace challenges. This presentation will help employers navigate the employment relationship. The Hiring Process – Stop Problems Before they Begin Employee Handbooks – Stop Creating Unnecessary Headaches for Yourself At-Will Employment – Stop Making It Complicated Wage and Hour Basics – Stop Making Compliance Mistakes Our speaker: Stephen Williamson, Attorney, The Van Winkle Law Firm Stephen Williamson is a principal at The Van Winkle Law Firm where he specializes in assisting employers with employment issues and disputes before a multitude of regulatory agencies and in both state and federal court. He is known for helping employers resolve workplace conflicts and avoid litigation and for providing a vigorous defense when litigation occurs.

Networking and Lunch: 11:30 a.m. Meeting: Noon – 1 p.m. Location: A-B Tech Asheville Campus – Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center, 16 Fernihurst Drive, Asheville. Garage parking is available immediately behind the conference center. Click here to view the campus map. Topic: Why Community Partners Matter Keynote Presentation: Dr. John Gossett,  A-B Tech President and Goodwill Board Member We look forward to seeing all our community partners on Aug. 3. Please register to attend; space is limited.

Come join us for Business After Hours at Rabbit Rabbit – hosted by A Look at Asheville!

Make new business connections with other Chamber members and help A Look at Asheville celebrate 20 years of business!

Online or in-print, you can’t avoid all the hype around the new AIs like ChatGPT. They are going to take over the world! But first they are going to replace lawyers, doctors, accountants, marketing departments, script writers… and on…

Or maybe… they are yet another tool that will help – in powerful ways – but not replace any of those groups or replace you. In fact, they are already helping in many fields and have been before all the press coverage started. But they are also getting people into trouble. And they can get you into trouble, or hurt your business results, if you don’t understand their limits and uses.

In this class you will learn how Large Language Models (like ChatGPT) work (and how they don’t). You will learn how they can get people into trouble so you will have a better chance to avoid that. And you will learn a few, basic, ways they can be used, after all, to help you with your small business.

If you can, please bring a laptop or tablet so you can setup a free ChatGPT account (if you don’t have one) and can tailor some of the class examples to your own business interests. However, a computer is not required to benefit from the class – we will be running examples and results on the projector screen as well.

This is not a technical class. We will not get into APIs and will only talk about the model parameters as part of showing, in a non-technical way, how the models work. We will also not debate whether they will replace all those professional groups “in a few years” because a) they won’t because they can’t by their very nature and b) we’re going to spend the class time talking about how small business owners can safely and productively use the tools today.

Instructor: Michael Truffa

Michael Truffa has been involved in a range of technology roles starting in the 1970s continuing on to today – doing application scripting, web & back-end programming, data science, error analytics, team management, and more. He also has a wide range of non-computer experience including roles in direct & b2b sales, as a mechanical & electrical technician in the oilfield, retail, and more that help inform his pragmatic view of how computers can, and sometimes can’t, help people do real-world jobs.

Young Professionals of Henderson County offer opportunities for those under the age of 40 to meet and greet with others who work/ or live in the county. Join us each quarter as we tour industries in our area. During our 3rd quarter of the year, we are touring Spectrum Reach. Throughout the tour, we will have the opportunity to engage with industry experts, asking questions and seeking advice in media advertising.

Imagine moving through your sun salutation on a mountaintop as the sky glows all around you (or stay in savasana for the full hour! No one here will judge you!) Marvel at nature’s light show, breathe in the fresh mountain air, and revel in the expansiveness of wide open spaces. This is our favorite version of our classic Yoga Hike here in Asheville.

This mountaintop is on all of the “best places to view the sunset in Asheville” lists and we can’t wait to share it with you!

We’ll bring the mats. You bring your spirit of adventure!

Prefer a private adventure? Sunset, Morning, and Afternoon hikes are available daily year round for private groups…even if you’re a solo adventurer!

This monthly event is co-sponsored with Blue Ridge Community College’s Small Business Center, the City of Hendersonville Main Street program, and the Hendersonville Merchants & Business Association features several speakers on timely community events and issues affecting our business community. This month’s program consist of guest from: TBD Our August monthly host is Edward Jones – David Maupin

Join us for a special Business Before Hours next Wednesday, August 9 from 8 – 9 a.m. at the WNC Farmers Market – the premier destination for buying and selling the region’s best agriculture products directly from farmers & food producers to household & wholesale customers in an environ
ment that celebrates the region’s diverse culture, food & heritage.

The Market is excited to welcome guests to their newly renovated Market Shop C shops, ideal for local agribusiness and value add businesses looking for a storefront they can sell both retail and wholesale and connect with existing customers at the WNC Farmers Market.

Come hungry to enjoy the best southern biscuits and breakfast in town from the Moose Cafe, which is celebrating 30 years at the WNC Farmers Market. There will be plenty of parking and hope to have a tram to take gust on a tour and possibly to the WNC FoodWorks kitchen.

This event is offered as a benefit for Chamber membership and no registration is necessary. If you’re considering Chamber membership and would like to attend this event we welcome you to come and check us out! Please contact Jessica Kanupp, our Membership Development Specialist, at [email protected]

The YPHC’s Monthly Social offers a chance for those professionals under 40 to meet through a laid-back networking opportunity. Months will rotate with guest speakers and professional development opportunities as well. Join us each month on the 2nd Wednesday from 5:00 – 6:00 pm at Dry Falls Brewing Co. *Participation is limited to those under 40* A big thanks to AdventHealth Hendersonville and Spectrum Reach for presenting this program for the 2023 year!

Enjoy a more productive day by meeting prospective customers at the start of your day. You may find a strong referral source, a new vendor, the perfect client, or simply get a foot in the door for connecting again later at another Chamber event. AM Power Hour is great if you are an early-bird or can’t make our after-hours networking events. Thank you to We Sell WNC, for being a Presenting Sponsor of the 2023 AM Power Hours!

Dress Code: Black Tie & Black Formalwear

Join us for:

Gourmet Dinner

Drinks

Live Music

Entertainment

Exclusive Booking Opportunity

• Debra Campbell, City Manager, City of Asheville
• Jessica Hendrix or Beth Lane, Board Members, Asheville Downtown Association

All breakfasts will take place at the Crowne Plaza Expo Center. Doors open at 7:45. Breakfast and networking from 8:00 – 8:30. Program begins at 8:30 and ends at 9:45. Individual event tickets are $25, or you may purchase series tickets (all three events) for $70.

Table sponsorships are available! Individual event table sponsorships are $350, or you may purchase a series table sponsorship for $1000. Each table seats eight people. Table sponsors are recognized on all event materials and from the podium during the event.

For more information or to talk about any of these events, please email [email protected] or call 828-255-7102

Come join the Chamber for Business After Hours at Franny’s Farmacy!

Tuesday August 15th from 5:30pm to 7pm come join Franny’s Farmacy and Asheville Chamber of Commerce at 211 Merrimon Ave Asheville Suite #111 for Business After Hours! You are in for a treat as you take a tour through Franny’s Farmacy premium CBD brand and vision where Hemp and Health Merge. High Vibes, building businesses, creating invaluable community connections and having Fun while doing it! We will be enjoying music, fresh mocktails with options of CBD infusions, our bud bar, chances to win amazing door prizes and more! Top and bottom patios will be open!

We will have parking in our main lot and a big thank you to the other local businesses for opening up their lots to us:

Brown Haven Homes Parking Lot – 219 Merrimon Ave Suite #111

Across the Street from Franny’s Sachi Spa – 210 Merrimon Ave, Asheville

Across the Street Monitto Chiropractic – 206 Merrimon Ave, Asheville

Extra Parking available in the Enmarket Gas station on the curb closest to Franny’s, not blocking any pumps of air meter.

This event is offered as a benefit for Chamber membership. We welcome you to come and check us out! Please contact Jessica Kanupp, our Member Development Specialist, at [email protected] if you’re considering a Chamber membership.

Locally owned and operated Physical Therapy Practice, Physio Physical Therapy and Wellness has been steadily growing in the last few years, including opening a second location in West Asheville. A four-time Sky High Growth Award winner, Physio focuses on providing excellent customer service and has been voted the Best Physical Therapy Clinic in Asheville for 10 consecutive years.

Grand Opening celebration for the West Asheville office. They will have drinks, snacks and fingerfoods. Giveaways and a raffle will also take place.